ClimateWorks Foundation Announces Changes to Its Board of Directors

SAN FRANCISCO – June 1, 2022 – ClimateWorks Foundation, a leading global platform for climate philanthropy, has announced that current Board Members John Podesta has been appointed Chair and Nancy Lindborg named Vice Chair of ClimateWorks Foundation’s Board of Directors. The changes come following the end of Dr. Sue Tierney’s nine-year term as a member of ClimateWorks’ Board.

“We appreciate all that Sue has done to guide ClimateWorks Foundation over our last decade of growth,” said Helen Mountford, president and CEO of ClimateWorks Foundation. “Thanks to her service, ClimateWorks is well-positioned to support the whole climate philanthropy community to invest at the speed and scale needed to help end the climate crisis. We know Sue will continue to be a bright light in the climate and clean energy communities, given her various roles. We look forward to keeping her engaged in the broader ClimateWorks community.”

Mountford added, “We welcome John and Nancy officially to their new roles and look forward to the guidance they and the rest of our Board will provide to support ClimateWorks as we continue to develop and evolve to help climate philanthropy have an even greater impact.”

John Podesta has been a member of the ClimateWorks’ Board of Directors since 2015. Podesta is the founder and chair of the Board of Directors for the Center for American Progress. He served as counselor to President Barack Obama, where he was responsible for coordinating the administration’s climate policy and initiatives. In 2008, Podesta served as co-chair of President Obama’s transition team. He was a member of the U.N. Secretary General’s High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. Podesta previously served as White House chief of staff to President William J. Clinton. He chaired Hillary Clinton’s campaign for president in 2016.

“I’m excited to step into the role of ClimateWorks’ Chair of the Board,” said Podesta. “Over the past decade, philanthropy has been instrumental in galvanizing action to bend the world’s emissions trajectory, and ClimateWorks has been a vital contributor to that success. But so much more must be done to put the world on a path to avoid the worst climate impacts. I look forward to deepening my engagement with ClimateWorks and supporting their work to help funders innovate, collaborate, and accelerate climate solutions that scale.”

Nancy Lindborg joined ClimateWorks’ Board in 2020 as she began her tenure as president and CEO of The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Lindborg has spent most of her career working on issues of transition, democracy and civil society, conflict and humanitarian response. She previously was the president and CEO of the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), the assistant administrator for the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA) at USAID, and president of Mercy Corps.

“It’s a privilege to be part of an organization that’s been so pivotal in helping climate funders navigate these uncertain times and mobilize action around the world to address increasingly interrelated issues,” said Lindborg. “I’m honored to serve as the Vice Chair as ClimateWorks continues to evolve its role in providing philanthropy with the essential data, intelligence, and sectoral expertise to move faster and amplify their investments.”

ClimateWorks Foundation Board of Directors includes global leaders from philanthropic, academic, civil society, and business institutions active in tackling climate change. For more about ClimateWorks’ Board, visit www.climateworks.org/about-us/board.

About ClimateWorks Foundation

ClimateWorks Foundation is a global platform for philanthropy to innovate and accelerate climate solutions that scale. We deliver global programs and services that equip philanthropy with the knowledge, networks, and solutions to drive climate progress. Since 2008, ClimateWorks has granted over $1.3 billion to more than 600 grantees in over 40 countries.